Centrifugal pumping apparatus.



1). W. JONES & E. W. KOPPE.

- GENTRIFUGAL PUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1907. A 7 975,623, Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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'[HEI] H I 7 3 a M1 9 k 1 WLJONES (m.- W.'K01 PE.; CGENTRIFUGAL PUMPINGAPBAR TUS.Q

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2%}, 1907. 1 v 975,623. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

UNITED s'rATns PATENT onrron.

DAVID W. JONES AND EARL W. KOPPE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GE'N'I'RIFUGAL PUMPING APPARATUS.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, Davn) XV. Jones and EARL W. Korrn, both citizens ofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles, California, 1

have invented anew and useful Centrifugal Pumping Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification;

An object'of this invention is to provide improved means whereby therotating portion of a centrifugal pump will automatically balance itselfso that friction caused by upward or downward thrust of the pump runnerwill be'practically eliminated within certain limits.

A further object is to provide means whereby if further balancing of thepump, is necessary to prevent upward or downward thrust, such balancingmay b readily accomplished by adjusting the size of balancing portsprovided in the runner itself.

Another object is toprovide a pump in which the discharge pipes are sodisposed that the discharging streams balance each other in a manner toprevent one side of the pump frame from being weighted more than theother.

Another object is to so form the pump chamber and arrange the outletswith relation thereto, that the friction of the water against the sidesof the casing will be re duced. Qther objects and advantages mayhereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in the embodimentthereof which ,we at present deem preferable.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly insection and partly broken away, of a pumpingapparatus constructedaccording to the principles of'this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of oneof the pump runners including a fragment of the casin therefor. Fig. 3is a side elevation of a modified form of one of the pum runners. Fig.4; is a plan section on line -X of Fig. 1. Fig.5 isa similar plansection, showing the modification of the urnp runnor on line X*-X ofFig. 3. i i 6 is an enlarged fragment ofa portion 0 the sectioned runnershown inFig. l. Fi 7 is an enlarged section of a portion of h'earingmeans shown in Fi 1. Fi 8 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of theshort up- Specificatlon of Letters Patent. Patented NOV, 15, 1910.Application filed August 28, 1907. Serial No. 390,435. I

l rightsection of pipe forming one of the outlets of the pump. Fig. 9 isan enlarged fragmental cross sectional view of the same, illustratingvthe method of seating the valve thereon. i

In the drawings we have shown a plurality of widely separated pumpsarranged one above the other according to the principles of theinvention.

1 designates the lowermost pump and 2 a second pump at a considerabledistance thereabove. One or moreintake pipes may be provided for thelower pump. 'In Fig. l, 3 and 4 designate oppositely disposed intakepipes in fixed relation to'the lower pump, 5 and 5 designate members ofa pair of swiveled intake'pipes communicating with the same pump. Saidsupplemental intake pipes 5 and 5 form part of a swiveled T-fitt1ngwhich permits of the pump being used to draw water from a different pairof wells when it is desired to make a change on account of a well beingexhausted or for any other reason. This arrangement is of great utilityin many instances where several wells are dug in the bottom of one pitor where there are tunnels running into the pit from wells located at adistance therefrom. It is vastly easier to swing the T-fitting aboutthan it would be to readjust the entire pumping apparatus. It is to beunderstood that when the suction pipes 5 and 5 are not in use they areclosed by suitable caps.

The pump chamber 6 is provided with oppositely disposed dischargechannels 7 and 8 eccentrically curved with relation to the pump.chambers thus giving the chamber a double geonchoidal appearance. Thedisehargepipes 9 and 10 communicate with the outer ends of saiddischarge channels.

The intake pipes 3, 4, 5 and 5 communiber through inta e pipe or neck 11through which extends the operating shaft 12 to the lower end of whichis secured a pump runner 18. Said runner is provided with the outwardlyradiating conchoidal discharge channels 14, of which there may be anydesired number. shown as we have found in practice that such a numbergive excellent results'butthe number may be more or less as desired. Theouter faces of webs 15 which separate these cats with the upier side ofthe pump cham- Three of these channels are i 'channels are provided withV-shaped grooves 16', one function of said grooves belng to cause theresistance of the water, as the runner is rotated, to bear against thecenter of the web, thus keeping the runner in a more perfect balancethan if the face of the webwere smooth and vertical.

A tendency of the stream to divide as it is thrown off by the runner iscreated by reason of theform and location of grooves 16.

As shown in the sectioned portion of Figs. 1 and 4, said rooves are deepand wide at the mouths of .t e discharge channels, but taper in widthand depth as they extend from the mouths of said channels along theperiphery of the closed runner shown, to their terminal points.Consequently, as the runner is rotated, the water in the center of thestream issuing from the discharge channels of the runner, first lies atthe bottom of the groove and therefore nearest to. the center of therunner, but as the runner rotates, such portion of the water is rapidlymoved along to the shallow portion of the groove and in being thusmoved, must pass outward from the center of the runner more rapidly thandoes the water above and below the central portion of the grooves. Thisresults in spreading the stream, because the central portion thereofbeing delivered the most rapidly, the upper and lower portions of thestream are crowded apart, and kept separate by the central or mid-widthportion of the stream.

Each of the balancing grooves 16 extends outwardly from the dischargechannels of the runner to and along a portion of the periphery of therunner,that is to say, outward to a point where the face of the grooveis in line with the edges of the upper and lower side-plates of therunner. The object of thus extending the groove is to bring it so nearthe periphery of the runner that the side-plates thereof will notinterfere with the upward and downward movements of the water thrown offfrom said groove, and therefore will not hinder the balancing effectprmduced by the groove, Said grooves are made V-shaped, that is to say,with a double bevel, the tendency of the upper bevel to raise the runnerbeing offset by the tendency of the lower bevel to depress the runrunnerinclosed by side walls forming a part thereof, so that no portion of theissuing streams of water within the runner can esmay be necessary thanthat ordinarily provided by the balancing groove. In such casesauxiliary regulating means are eniployed as will next be described.

At the same distance fwm the operating shaft, both aboveand below thedischarge channels, and leading laterally into each dis charge channelare ports, two of which 17 and 18 are shown' in Fig. 6. These portsbeing all of the same character the'top ones will be marked 17 and thebottom ones 18. In the top of the runner is an annular way desirablyformed as a channel 19 in which is mounted a regulating rin 20 which isprovided with ports 21 wiich may be brought into register with ports 17,or out of register, and said ring can be turned so that ports 17 may bepartly or wholly opened or closed. Ring 20 is held onto the runner bymeans of screws 22 which pass through slots 23 in the ring and screwinto the body of the runner. In the bottom of lhe runner is a likechannel 2a in which is a like ring 25 having the same slots and portstherein as ring 20 and for the purpose of controlling ports 18 in thesame manner that ring 20 controls ports 17. \Vhen it is desired to navetherunner provided with an upward thrust, ports 17 will be partially orwholly opened, depending upon the amount To provide means for removingany obdructions in the discharge channels of the pump chan'ibers, or inthe pump runners, we

provide removable plate-s28 which cover openings in the priphery o'f thepump chamber casings. Faid' removable plates are placed in the peripheryof the pump case so that the peripheral openings in the runner passopposite them. This construction affords ready access to the runner forthe purpose-of removing therefrom sticks or other cbtriictions sucked inby the operation of the pump. Owing to said removable plates beinglocated on the periphery of the case nd therefore in line with thedirection in which the discharge passages 14 of the runner extend. it isposible to reach the hand or a suitable tool into the interior-0f thevent the return of the water to the pump chambers when the runners stoprotation. As shown in the sectional portion of Fig. 1, the centralportion of the upper part of the T-fitting is bored so that the bore issome 'what larger than the operating shaft. for

the reception of the babbitt packing 31 which extends downwardlynearlyto the lower end of the depei'iding hollow-stem 15. A collar 83 issecured to the shaft by screw 34- to prevent the shaft from passinglower in the litting. To the top of the fitting is secured a bearingmember 35 through which the operating shaft passes. The lower portion ofthis bearing member is preferably enlarged to form a lubricating chamber36. This chamber is provided with a removable door 37 so that it may becleaned out when desired. In the bearing member just above thelubricating chamber is a babbitt packing 38. In the upper part of thebearing is a spring pressed packing gland 43. 39 designates a headedbolt at each side of said gland and 40 spiral springs between said glandand the heads of said bolts to press said gland against packing 4E3.Said springs are adapted to move said glands sufiiciently to compensatefor the wearing away of the greater portion of said packing.

Secured to the top of the bearing and surrounding the same is a bracebar 4E1, having each end thereof secured upon the discharge pipe andtogether with said. pipes forming a part of the frame. When more thanone step is used the discharge pipes of the lower pump chamber dischargeinto the suction port by the pump chamber above, and as many steps maybe used as desired. The discharge pipes at the surface of the ground areclamped between supporting beams 42;

42 which may support the entire apparatus. The water may discharge intoany convenient receptacle, such as a box or a flume (not. shown).Secured to the operating shaft between the two upper brace bars is thepower pulley 18 to which power is applied by belt 49 from any suitablesource of energy.

As shown in Fig. 1, brace bar 41 carries a collar which embraces bearingmember 35 of shaft 12. A set screw or other adjusting means, operatingbetween said collar andbearing member, serves to adjust the parts andthen hold them in fixed position with re lation to each other. 1 i

The upper pump 2, being constructed in i a manner similar to the lowerpump 1.

specific reference is not made to all its parts,

but 9 and 10" indicate the discharge pipes of said upper pump, and 3637* indicate respectively the lubricating chamber and the removabledoor.

Hitherto, in the construction of. centrifugal pumps, adapted for beingused in deep wells, it has been necessary to provide, not only dischargepipes, but also a separate suspension frame in addition to saiddischarge pipes; whereas by our invention the discharge pipes arearranged to themselves form the suspension frame, so that inconstructing, for example a #5 centrifugal pump, and mounting said pumpin a well pit, the following saving is effected by constructing the pumpaccording to the principles of our invention: As formerly constructed, asuspension frame, generally of wood, is used at a cost of approximately$1.30 a foot, in addition to 650. per foot for the single discharge pipeemployed. making the total cost $1.95 per foot. With the presentinvention, the two discharge pipes form the upright-members of theframe, and together cost $1.30 per foot. It followsthat we produce asuperior steel frame for $1.30 per foot, including the pipe fordischarging the water from the well, thus saving 65c. per foot.

-We are aware that pumping apparatus has heretofore been devised inwhich a plurality of centrifugal pump runners have been used one aboveanother. So far as we know. however, the successive pump runners havebeen placed closeto each other, whereas in a pumping apparatusconstructed according to the principles of our invention, the pumps arewidely separated from each other so as to take advantage of the vacuumcreated by an upper pump so as to advance the water a substantialdistance toward the top of the well in passing from a lower pump to apump next above in the series. We have found that by separating thepumps a considerable distance from each other as above described we areenabled to revolutions per minute than would be re-' quired to pump thesame amount of water] f the pumps were placed close to each other. Onereason for-the advantage gained by separating the pumps as abovedescribed, appears to be that the water passes to a next higher pump ina smooth even stream, whereas when the'pumps are close together thestream is agitated and more friction is produced, at the intake of anupper pump. The principal reason, however, why so much power is gainedby widely separatineithe vertically disposed pumps, evidently lies-inthe well known fact. that water reouires to travel a considerabledistance before the inertia thereof can be sufiicientlv overcome togreatly increase the quant ty pass ng through a conduit. So far as weare aware,

centrifugal pumps have not heretofore been constructed in a verticalseries arranged to take advantage of the principle.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification of the pump in which the runner issupplied with lugsor extensions 45, one of said' extensions beinglocated at the outer end of each Web of the runner thereby formingextensions of the webs. Said extensions assist materially in drivingthe'water into the discharge channels 7 and 8' but are not absolutelynecessary to the successful operation of the pump. They may be fastenedto the pump runner by screws or other suitable means. It will be seenfrom Fig. 1, that the opening in the top of the pump casing 'is notsufiiciently large to allow the runner to be inserted with theextensions attached thereto. Said extensions can, however, be put inplace by removing plates 28 and inserting said extensions through theopenings in the periphery of the case. By-this arrangement a pump runneris provided having webs or vanes which extend close to the periphery ofthe pump casing and therefore circulate the water ina most eflicientmanner. When thus constructed with extended webs the same amount ofwater can be raised with much less speed of rotation, or a much higherlift can be attained when running at the same speed. Therefore, by

., the use of the extended webs, it is often possible to greatly cheapenthe cost of installing a pumping plant, because a single step um canthus be made to raise water to a ieig t to which it could otherwise belifted only by a two-step pump.

The check valves 29 and 30 are seated in annular grooves 29 and 30,formed in the top of discharge means 9 and 10 respec-' tlvely, whichform part of the pump. This arrangement removes all obstruction from thetop of the flanges with which means 9' and 10 .are provided,-andtherefore makes it possible to make the joints'in the usual mannerWithout the use of a specially constructed fitting for. the attachmentof the pipes 9 and 10 to the pump.

- The check valves 29 and 30 are each provided, as best shown in Figs. 9and 10, with offset portions or extensions 50, each of which seat inarecess 51 provided at one side "of the stepped portion or groove 29 or30. 52 is a washer which fits into recess 5l-and is held down uponextension 50 of the valve by means of screws 53. 54 designates the usualweight which is attached to the flap ofthe valve by means of the rivet55. 56 is a short sleeve flanged at its lower end as shown, to. completethe casing of the valve. It will be noted that this constructionprovides a check valve with scarcely,

anyadditional expense to that required for forming the ordinary joint atthe discharge outlets of the pump casing.

erases 'We claim v 1. In a centrifugal pump, a runner having a pluralityof discharge channels, said channels having ports extending ouwardlythrough the top of the runner; and means bly with relation thereto, saidring having ports which may be brought into or out of register with saidports in the runner to partly or wholly open or close the same.

4:. In a centrifugal pump, a runner having a plurality of dischargechannels, said channels having ports extending outwardly through thebottom of the runner; anda regulating ring mounted on said runnerrevolubly with relation thereto, said ring having ports which may bebrought into or out'of register with said ports in the runner to open orclose the same.

5. In combination, a case, a centrifugal pump runner adapted to rotatein said case, and extensions adapted to be fastened to the periphery ofsaid runn'er when the runner is in place in said case.

6. In combination, a centrifugal pump runner, extensions adapted tobeattached to the periphery of said runner, a case for said runner, aremovable side plate to provide for the insertion of said runner, andanother removable plate in said case to rovide for the attachment ofsaid extensions after the runner is in place.

7. In combination, a centrifugal pump runner, extensions adapted to beattached .to

- the periphery of said runner, a case for said ing radiating conchoidaldischarge channels, 0ne face of each of said channels being providedwith a V-shaped groove, said V-shaped groove extending to and along theperiphery of the runner and there forming a separate channel, saidrunner being inclosed by side walls forming a part thereof. 9. In acentrifugal pump, a runner inclosed by'side walls forming a part thereofand having a discharge channel opening from the mouth of said dischargechannel a well pit, ofupright discharge pipes leadthe top of the wellpit on opposite sides of for location at a distance below the top of,

' from-the central portion of. said casing,

v 7' through the periphery thereof, said runner having also-a separategroove extending ing from and connected with opposite sides ofsaldcasing, cross-beams to' extend across each of said pipes, and means forclamping each of said pipes between pairs of said cross-beams to suspendsaid pipes and casmg. Y

12;"In a centrifugal'pumping apparatus adapted for pumping from wellpits, the. combinatiomwith a pump casing adapted a well pit, of meansfor supporting said casing, an intake pipe leading upwardly said intakepipe having branches leading downwardly to a point below said basin atopposite sides thereof, and a secon pump casing supported by anddischarging into said branches.

13. A centrifugal pumping apparatus provided with main intake pipes 3and 4 and swiveled supplemental intake pipes 5 and 5'. I p

14. In a centrifugal pump, the combination, with the casing of the pump,of a section of pipe having an upwardly directed flanged end, therebeing astepped portion of uniform depth extending around the innere dgeof said flange and countersunk below the face thereof to form a valveseat, a check valve having a flap adapted" to seat onsaid steppedportion, a sleeve adapted to surround sald valve to form a casingtherefor, a flange'carried by the lower end of said sleeve, means forsecuring said flanges together, and an upright suspension plpe extendingupwardly from said sleeve.

- In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names 1n the presenceof two subscribing witnesses at Los Angeles, California, this 21st dayof August, 1907. DAVID W. JONES. E. W. KOPPE.

- Witnesses:

ALBERT H. MERRILL, Mon rnosn WARN.

